PlayStation robbers put boy, 12, in hospital

[wraggster]

Source

Police are urging children to leave expensive gadgets at home after a violent robbery landed a 12-year-old boy in hospital.

The boy was robbed of his PlayStation Portable (PSP) games console on Friday at about 4pm, as he was leaving school in Hendon.

The games machine was one of this year's best-selling Christmas presents, but the £200 device is proving attractive to muggers.

Police revealed earlier this year that two-thirds of all street robberies involve the theft of expensive electronic equipment, and officers now fear that the PSP will follow the iPod as the target of choice.

The attack happened in Downage, when a group of teenagers approached the boy near his school gates.

He was thrown to the ground, injuring his hand, while his PSP and mobile phone were stolen. The boy was taken to Barnet Hospital, suffering concussion, cuts and bruising, and remained there over the weekend.

There have been two violent thefts involving PSP machines since they came onto the market at Christmas.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Murray Duffin, of Barnet police, said: "Sadly, small portable items of technology are just too much of a temptation to some of the criminal fraternity and things like PSPs and iPods that are not used in school should maybe be left safely at home or kept well out of sight when in the street.

"The amount of violence used in this attack was unnecessary and gratuitous and we would hope that anyone with any information about this incident will contact us quickly."

Sad *******s

[bullhead]

ass moles! maybe sony should put a psp locator in the next firmware. Like some people have with their cars or pets. Then if the psp is stolen it could be tracked down and whoever stole it can be burned.

[pepegomez]

well, thats why u should never show ur stuff in public...
not the gameboy in the past and not ur psp now.
but if u look like a beast or something that fears others..
i dont even if im mature enouh to not get robbed...
especially kids are perfet to rob...
i dunno if that happens only in the USA but r here in germany,, we are fairly save for theft ^^

[bullhead]

uh huh.

[Amiga]

they want stringing up by their short and curlies.

[The_Ultimate_Eggman]

*******S !!! nuff sed me thinks

[iniquitous_beast]

Ironic, isn't it? Sony designs a system that is meant to be taken outside of the user's home; however, public use of such a device is discouraged by theft. Perhaps people wouldn't be so inclined to steal them if they didn't cost so much. Used psp's sell for about $160 on ebay.

One has to wonder though about the state of our education system when a kid can find the free time to use a psp while in school. Either he was not paying attention to his classes, or he had a lot of Study Halls. Any way, his teachers should have confiscated that psp from him. If it distracts students and attracts bullies and thieves, then kids should not be allowed to have them in school.

[bullhead]

That is so true beast.

[Doom edit]

i suppose the safest use of it would be on trips in areas that u r and others arn't.

[gov1]

MOTHER F***ERS!
its the psp
play station PORTABLE
no MOTHER F***ING A** HOLE should try and steal one, and those mo fos that do should go and bye their F**KIN OWN!

i saved 5 months working weekends to buy my psp if some MO FO tried to steal it, it wouldnt be me walking away with the broken arm.

an also im still in school (15yr old) and sometimes the psp is the only one of my outlets for stress (i only use at dinners and breaks)

PS: BURN IN HELL PStealerP'ers